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Governor Walker Makes His Case

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Just watched Governor Scott Walker’s talk to the people of his state (and given the ink this story has generated nationwide) the American people as well.  I think it’s well worth your time:

I liked how he began, saluting the state’s public employees, then went on to compare they benefits they receive to those of private sector employees.  Starting at 5:16, he takes on the problems posed by collective bargaining for public employees and why he seeks to limit its use in his state.

On the whole, his delivery was sound, but he did eat a few words.  His speech was, in many ways, Reaganesque with his effective interweaving of personal anecdotes, yet he lacked the Gipper’s velveteen voice and avuncular manner of delivery.  And he acknowledge that Midwestern “trait” of passionate, but civil debate.

I agree with Ann Althouse (my source for the video) who “thought Walker did an excellent job of articulating his side of the controversy.”  (Via Instapundit.)

Comments

  1. I disagree with this article’s central thesis about the wonderfulness of Mitch Daniels, but this part sums up the opposition to Governor Walker’s position, and I would agree with it 1,100% if I had been taught math by a Wisconsin public schoolteacher.

    Recent evidence suggests that the Democratic establishment, in Washington, in Madison, in Indianapolis and a slew of other states have reached a point where they cannot be reasoned with. They don’t know where the money will come to fund everything they want. They don’t really care. But they’ll be darned if they’ll let anybody apply the brakes to the gravy train that has been so good to them – er, I’m sorry, the high-speed rail gravy train that’s been so good to them.

  5. Hi Dan,
    As far as I can tell, he doesn’t explain why he needs to get rid of collective bargaining–except that he infers that unions (and their members) prefer layoffs to wage/benefit cuts. yet, that issue can be taken up within the collective bargaining model–you don’t need to get rid of CB to deal with it. I can sympathize with that irritation with unions. He is arguing about work rules here. Also, he is talking about the union health plan–does anyone know, but does that health plan offer more coverage than the state plan that Gov Walker is talking about? Would that explain the cost differential?

  6. Cas,

    It really can’t be taken up in the context of CB, as what we’re seeing now would be the result.

    As to health benefits… I know that MPS has incredible benefits compared to most plans.

    Standard Disclaimer applies I work for an insurance company, I sure as hell don’t speak for them.

  7. Hi TL,
    Thanks for the med plan info. Is the MPS the state plan?

    I think that work rule can be changed, but my guess is that Walker missed the opportunity to do so, by taking the chain saw to CB rather than a scalpel.

  12. Yea, he really didn’t do anything to explain why CB causes problems. He basically said that the unions played hard ball and said give us raises or fire people to cut costs. If people are given the ability to join unions voluntarily, how is this a problem? To solve the problem Walker claims unions present, all he needs to do is make membership voluntary, not erode CB.

    As long as people can choose whether or not they want to be part of unions and whether or not they want to risk being fired as a result of negotiations, how is this a problem? It sounds like the basics of negotiating to me. Either a compromise is reached or one side gets screwed, seems pretty straightforward.

  14. Hi aj,
    “As long as people can choose whether or not they want to be part of unions and whether or not they want to risk being fired as a result of negotiations, how is this a problem? ”

    One possible problem is that the union will fall apart. The reason for this is the old bugbear of public economics: the free rider problem. Though it is rational to be a member of a union in order to have a higher chance of higher pay, benefits, better conditions, it is also the case that you would be even better off if you could get all that and not be a member of a union. After all, you don’t have to pay dues or go to meetings, etc. So, the free rider looks to get the benefits without bearing any of the costs. Another example of a free-rider is the student who does nothing in a group project, allowing others to do the work, because they know that the “A” student will do it just to get the grade, and they will just tag along. But if everyone makes that calculation, there will be too few people in the union to get the higher benefits, wages, conditions. And no “A” for the student paper, either!